Sisters of the Elements
by lilnickyg
Summary: (the story is rated T just in case.) Zuko kidnaps a young girl, assuming she is the waterbending friend of the avatar. But when he figures out what she isn't, he learns the great secret of what she is.


Sisters of the Elements

Chapter One

Zuko watched as a young girl was carried, kicking and screaming, onto his ship. She had a very familiar temper. Surely this was the girl who had always traveled with the avatar.

"Damn it! Let go of me! Who the hell are you people and why won't you let me go!" She screamed. "Let me go or I'll burn you all to crisp!"

She stood in one place, holding her ground so well that neither guard could pull her any further. Her skin became incredibly hot, both guards moved their hands away, looking at the burns on their skin. Zuko raised an eyebrow. The avatar's friend was a water bender...wasn't she?

He now walked out of the shadows and towards this young girl. Before he could even open his mouth, she screamed at him. "You! Zuko! What the hell is wrong with you! You had your stupid guards bring me to this damned ship and for what! Why would you want me here!"

"You'll do well to treat your prince with more respect." He said calmly. The girl burst into a fit of laughter.

"Prince! Ha! Your ancestors are simply thieves of our throne. And you are no better, having been banished. You don't deserve any more respect than your foolish father."

"What do you mean, thieves of your throne? That kingdom has been ours for generations."

"Haven't you ever wondered who the Fire Nation belonged to before your family became the rulers?"

"No one owned the Nation before us."

"Ha! It just so happened the first avatar and his daughters were keeper of all thrones. Give me a respectable cabin and I'll tell you all I know."

"I don't care about the first avatar. I need the current one."

The young girl approached him, coming dangerously close to his face, despite her lack in height, it made him nervous. "In order to understand how to reach the current avatar, you must know all there is to know about the first. Now get me a damned room before I set this place ablaze!"

He nodded and she took a few steps back. "You there!" He yelled at one of the guards. "Find somewhere for her to sleep."

The guard nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

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The young girl sat on the floor, cross-legged. She could hear the door open and close behind her. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd really get me a room."

"Tell me about the first avatar." He said, ignoring her attempt to stall the conversation.

"Fine. Long ago, the four nations were only one, they were ruled by a great man, bender of all elements. His daughters, though, were a problem. Each could bend a certain element, each had a different personality, and each wanted her own land. The were four of them:

Pyralis, bender of fire. She was thick-headed and power-hungry. Her temper rose easily, but she knew how to control her emotions and her element

Aura, an air bender. She was fun-loving and care-free. Always desperate to keep her sisters calm, she was the peace maker when their father was not around.

Terah, the earth bender. Calm and courageous. Of all her sisters, Terah was always the first to get into a fight with Pyralis.

And of course, there was a water bender. Araluen, I assure you that she was much like all her sisters. She held the anger of Pyralis, the courage of Terah and the care-free attitude of Aura."

"What does this have to do with the avatar?"

"I'm getting to that! One day, the four girls decided that they were tired of simply living on their father's land, they wanted kingdoms of their own. Aura chose the lands high above the hills, for the air there was strongest. Pyralis chose the deserts and heated lands, for fire was common there. Terah chose the canyons and wilderness, for there was much earth for her to bend. Araluen chose the two poles, because water was spread all around them. Their father was a fair man, so he gave them what they wanted. He also gave them the power to pass their bending abilities to the families of their land. In order for them to do this, he cast a spell over four necklaces, and gave them to his daughters. Each had the sign of their element carved into it."

"Does this story have a point?"

"Damn it, Zuko! Shut up and let me speak! As I was saying, they were each given an elemental necklace, they passed them for generations, one after another. Everything was peaceful, but then your stupid ancestors messed that all up. They turned on the keeper of the Fire Nation's throne, the descendant of the woman who had given them their abilities in the first place. You know already of how the avatar is born to every generation and bla, bla, bla. Well, the same goes for the four benders. Each element has a female bender who has had those necklaces passed onto them, they are always the same age. They never know each other, but they have the ability to sense where the others are, along with the avatar. After all, they are sisters."

"Your story has a minor flaw. The avatar is the last air bender. My great-grandfather and the kings that followed killed all the air benders. Every. Single. One."

The girl chuckled. "Oh, Zuko, you don't really think that your father could keep count of every single air bender alive, do you? All these people need to do is keep the Sister of Air alive long enough for her to grant those worthy of the power of air bending her gift."

Zuko's eyes widened at this. She was right. There might have been an entire army full of air benders by now, his father had been wrong. There was no way to kill a bending nation. Not so long as the Sisters of the Elements lived. It was simple, kill all the sisters. All except the Sister of Fire.

"You don't pay nearly enough attention to the things you've already done." The girl said to him. "You've already found the Sisters of Fire and Water."

"Hm?"

"Idiot. I'm wearing the necklace of the Fire Nation and I believe you've already found the girl who wears the necklace of the Water Tribe."

"The girl I had mistaken you for, the friend of the avatar. She is the Sister of Water?"

"Of course, how do you think she sensed where he was?"

"That necklace."

"Duh. Now that you understand everything, I'm hungry. Get someone to give food."

"You've already told me everything you know, what use could I have for you anymore."

"I am the Sister of Fire, you imbecile. You will need me if you wish to find the avatar. If you get rid of me, I'll find the avatar and help him by finding the Sister of Earth, and having her help me teach him bend. He will be powerful before you can say, 'Damn it, Karaia! I hate your frigging guts!' "

"Karaia, is that your name?"

"Obviously! Now get me my food, damn it!" She shouted.

If there was anything he didn't want, it was the avatar learning the other elements before he captured him. He nodded and left to find a chef and servant for Karaia.

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"I'm hungry." Soka whined.

"Well you wouldn't be if you had the patience to wait for Aang and I when we were getting provisions for the trip." Katara replied, her arms folded across her chest.

"But the Fire Nation was close by! We didn't have time to pick fruits."

"They were a mile away, Soka. We had plenty of time."

"Whatever."

"Calm down, guys. There's a village down there, maybe they have food. And Momo, share what you have." Aang said peacefully.

The small lemur broke his fruit into peaces and handed each of them one. They each thanked him as they ate their share.

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Zuko entered Karaia's room once more. "There is no food left on the ship. We will be stopping at a nearby village so we can restock."

"Won't that mean taking food from nearly every family?" She asked horrified by the thought of how many people she could have been starving.

"Yes. But you will be fed. And I can tell you haven't eaten in days." She held her stomach as it let out a low growl.

"Very well." she frowned. "Do not steal from the children, let them have their food." That's all she really wanted, for the children to live.

"What do you care? They aren't your family."

"Every village, every city, every town, every kingdom is my family! I am one of the Sisters of the Elements! We are all family!" She took a deep breath. "You may leave now, Zuko. As soon as I eat, I'll help you find your avatar."

He left once more, sensing that Karaia would need some time to herself.

Upon leaving, he had bumped into his uncle, Iroh. What he had been doing down here in the first place, was something Zuko was unaware of.

"Uncle, what is it that you want?"

"I have heard rumors of a young girl being held captive on the ship. And you made no effort to mention to me, so I had one of the crew members inform me of her resting place." Iroh looked curious. "What is she doing here, Zuko? What reason could you have for kidnapping a young girl? Is she the water bending friend of the avatar."

"Close. She's the Sister of Fire."

"Impossible, they died out years ago."

"Well, according to her, they're all alive, all four."

"Even the air bender?"

Zuko nodded, telling Iroh what Karaia had told him earlier.

"Hm, this is interesting. Maybe later I could have a talk with her about all of that. But now, someone said they spotted the avatar nearby."

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A/N: Yay! That's chappie one. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review so I can continue. I'd like at least three before I continue so I know someone is reading this and it isn't all for nothing. Advice is totally appreciated as well as story ideas.


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